Hera

Hera is the wife of Zeus, the Queen of Olympus, and the Olympian goddess of marriage. As such, she is also the deity most associated with family and the welfare of women and children. Her marriage, however, was an unhappy one, since Zeus had numerous affairs. Jealous and vengeful, Hera made sure to give each of his consorts some hard time.

Hera’s Role

Hera's Name

Based on the number of cults, Hera was a very ancient goddess, possibly predating even Zeus. In fact, it’s assumed that we don’t even know her original name. “Hera” is actually a title, which is usually translated as “Lady” or “Mistress.” Hera’s Roman counterpart was Juno, the goddess who gave her name to the month of June, even today, the most popular time for weddings.

Hera's Portrayal and Symbolism

Hera was usually portrayed alongside Zeus, as a fully clothed matronly woman of solemn beauty, wearing a cylindrical crown called polos or a wreath and a veil. Sometimes she carries a scepter capped with a pomegranate and a cuckoo – the former a symbol of fertility, the latter a token of the way she was wooed by Zeus. She is also often accompanied by a peacock, one of her sacred animals.

Hera's Epithets

Homer often refers to Hera as “cow-eyed” and “white-armed” – which are her most famous epithets. She is also sometimes called “a virgin,” since it was believed that every year she bathed in a spring to renew her virginity.

Hera's Family

Being born after Hestia and Demeter, Hera is the youngest of Cronus’ and Rhea’s three daughters and their third child overall; Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus – in that order – are her younger brothers. However, since just like each of her siblings but Zeus, she was swallowed by her father at birth and later disgorged to be born again, she is sometimes referred to as Cronus’ and Rhea’s oldest daughter. Reasonably, since the Titan had to empty his stomach of his children in the order opposite of the one in which he ate them.

The Archetypal Married Couple: Hera and Zeus

As the guardian of marriage and the spouse of the King of Gods and Men, Hera didn’t have much choice but to be a faithful wife. Even though she was beautiful, not many men – and not one god – dared to lay hands on her. Endymion tried once, but Zeus condemned him to eternal sleep. Ixion fared even worse: Zeus fooled him into making love with a cloud fashioned in Hera’s image, and then ordered Hermes to bind him to a perpetually turning wheel of fire.

By most accounts, Hera gave Zeus four children: Ares, the god of war, Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, Hebe, the goddess of eternal youth, and Hephaestus, the god of fire.

Hera, a Vengeful Wife

The Wooing of Hera

Zeus tricked Hera into marriage. Knowing full well that the goddess loved animals, he transformed himself into a distressed cuckoo and reverted to his original form only when Hera took the poor creature to her breast to warm it. Ashamed for being taken advantage of, Hera agreed to a marriage.

Hera Challenges Zeus

However, it didn’t turn out to be a happy one. Zeus was brutish and cruel to everybody. Incapable of bearing this, Hera plotted a revenge plan with Poseidon, Athena and possibly few other gods. She drugged Zeus, and they bound him on his bed, while stealing his thunderbolt. Thetis, however, summoned Briareus and he managed to quickly untie Zeus, who was, subsequently, merciless to the main schemer: he hung Hera from the sky with golden chains.

To grant herself a release, Hera swore to never rebel again against her husband. So, she directed her anger toward Zeus’s lovers and their offspring, becoming a jealous and vindictive wife.

Hera and Semele

For example, she tricked Semele into forcing her lover – which she knew was Zeus – to reveal himself before her in all his glory. Since humans can’t look upon at gods without incinerating, Semele perished into thin air.

Hera and Callisto

Later, she turned Callisto into a bear, after the latter gave birth to Zeus’ child Arcas. After some time, just as Arcas was about to unwittingly kill his mother, Zeus placed Callisto and her son in the sky as the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Big and the Little Bear.

Hera and the Delaying of Births

Hera kept her daughter Eileithyia from attending the birth of Apollo, postponing it by nine days and nights. More famously, she did the same with Heracles; in this case, the delay caused Heracles the throne of Argolid.

Hera and Io

Arguably, Io was the one who endured the most. First Zeus transformed her into a cow so that he can hide her from Hera. Then, Hera sent Argus Panoptes to watch over her, and Zeus – Hermes to kill him. After that, Hera transformed Argus’ ghost into a gadfly which bothered Io in her bovine form all the way to Egypt. Finally, Zeus impregnated her there with Epaphus.

Hera, the Vain Goddess

Just like most of the other Greek goddesses, when it came to her beauty, Hera was easily offended.

Hera and Orion

Once, Orion’s wife Side (“pomegranate”) boasted that she was as beautiful as Hera, so the goddess sent her to the Underworld. When Laomedon’s daughter Antigone did the same, Hera turned her into a stork. Finally, after Paris chose Aphrodite instead of her, she became a sworn enemy of Troy.

Hera: Myths and Hidden Truths

While Hera is often seen as a jealous and vengeful wife, her character is more complex than this one-dimensional portrayal suggests. It is important to recognize that she was a powerful and independent goddess in her own right, ruling over marriage, family, and women's welfare. Her anger towards Zeus's infidelities was not solely fueled by jealousy but was also a reaction to his betrayal and the destabilization of their sacred union. Hera's protective nature extended not just to her own family but to all families, and she was deeply committed to maintaining the sanctity of marriage.

Hera's Throne on Mount Olympus

Hera's throne on Mount Olympus was made of ivory and gold, crafted by the divine artisan Hephaestus. It was said to be so beautiful and majestic that it rivaled even Zeus's throne.

Hera and the Milky Way

According to one myth, the Milky Way was created when Hera's breast milk sprayed across the heavens after she removed the infant Heracles from her breast. He had been placed there by Zeus in an attempt to grant him immortality, but Hera, unaware of the infant's true parentage, was startled when she realized who it was.

The Cult of Hera at Argos

Argos, a city in the Peloponnese region of Greece, was home to one of the most important Hera cults in antiquity. The city held an annual festival in her honor, known as the Heraea, where athletic competitions were organized for young women.

Hera: A Divine Dance of Love, Jealousy, and Power

In a tale of love, jealousy, and divine power, we follow the story of Hera, the Queen of Olympus and the goddess of marriage. With a tumultuous relationship with Zeus, the King of Gods, Hera's life is fraught with betrayal and vengeance. Despite her dedication to family and the welfare of women and children, Hera's wrath toward Zeus's consorts and their offspring is legendary.

As we delve into the complexities of Hera's character, we uncover a goddess who is deeply passionate, fiercely protective, and unyielding in her pursuit of justice. In a world where relationships are tested and loyalty is paramount, Hera's story serves as a powerful reminder of the lengths to which one will go for love and honor.

Hera Sources

Check out “The Homeric Hymn to Hera”: it is merely five verses long. If you wish, you can find out more about Io in the second half of Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound” and the First Book of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.”

See Also: Hecatoncheires, Zeus, Oceanus, Tethys, Prometheus, Cronus